FUN-travel: Reykjavik, Iceland – Day 2
November 10, 2014 by Susan Clarke
Day 53 – Friday, August 21 – Reykjavik, Iceland – Full Day 2 – full on sun – balmy summer day – high 50’s on coast & low 60’s inland
What I LIKE
- 6:30 – wake up to good hot espresso
- – ready for big day of adventure
- 8:35 – pick up for Grand Circle Tour
- 8:45 – arrive main station to change
- 9:10 – depart – scenic drive
- – includes rolling hills w/rugged lava landscape
- – black volcanic jagged mountains in distance
- – occasional steam spouts from bubbling hot springs
- So clear can see huge glacier miles away!
- Having a heat wave! Sunny & 55
- 10:30 – 1st stop – Fridheimer
- – gigantic green houses growing tomatoes
- – 51 rows, each 90’ long & double sided
- – eat tomato soup w/nice seeded baguette 900 Kroner =$7.50
FUN-fact – They grow tomatoes all year round under artificial lighting in greenhouses yielding an average of a ton a day with an annual harvest of 370 tons!
- 11:15 – depart for
- 11:25 – 2nd stop – Geysir @ Haukadalur
- only erupts during earthquakes – last time in 2000
- – pretty impressive @ 200 to 250 ft high
- Strokkur erupts every 8 to 10 mins
- – impressive @ 75 to 100 ft high
- 12:55 – depart for
- 1:05 – 3rd stop – waterfall Gullfoss – really spectacular!
- – 3-step “staircase” abruptly plunges in two stages – 35’ then 65’ into crevice 100’ deep
- – crevice about 60’ wide & 1.5 mi long then plunges – 210 ft into canyon surrounding it
- – beautiful rainbow @ end – get up close & personal
- – really loud, ferocious & incredibly powerful
- 2:07 – 4th stop – Thingvellir National Park
- – pass site where Eurasian & American tectonic plates are pulling apart
- 3:15 – take nice walk to
- – Parliament – venue for general assembly
- – established in 930 – annual meetings held until 1798
- 4:00 – depart back to Reykjavik
- 5:08 – drop off not far from hotel – go shopping
- – need to find gifts – ooh! nice sweatshirt only 5900 Kroner = $50 – deal of the century
- & get VAT refund for one I got me yesterday! YEAH!
- 6:00 – room R&R
- 8:00 – dinner reservation Sushi Samba
- – Japanese South American Fusion
- – place is packed & on sound overload
- 8:15 – get seated
- 8:45 – bread w/basil cream butter arrives
FUN-food – Sushi Samba– 1) surf n turf roll = lobster tempura, avocado, beef carpaccio, spicy mayo, teriyaki, chili crumble = 3190 Kroner – 2) Hot Maguro roll = torpedo shrimp, tuna, avocado, jalapeno mayo, kimchee = 2990 Kroner – 3) under “Street Food” deep fried Cuban lobster cigar = chorizo, dates, chili jam, chimichurri sauce = 1990 Kroner – 4) reindeer mini burger on brioche, Portobello, manchego, bleu cheese sauce = 2590 Kroner – Viña Maipo Vitral Reserve 2012 Carmenere = 6590 Kroner
- – By far the BEST meal we’ve had all trip
- – excellent mix of flavors
- & most expensive @ 17350 Kroner
- – Yikes! Thanks god it’s just monopoly money
- = $150 US
- – definitely hip, hop & happening – not just a meal but an event!
What I DON’T LIKE
- Tried to restart my Netflix subscription @ home
- & told there is no service in Iceland – but coming soon!
- Only negative w/dinner all served at same time
- – should have ordered tasting menu – they will let you share an order for 1 – just didn’t want dessert
FUN-fact – Yellow Stone is the tallest predictable geyser in the world with powerful bursts between 150-200 feet. Its interval ranges from 6 to 15 hours, although recently, it has averaged 7-8 hours and eruptions last between 9-12 minutes
More FF – Iceland has a population of 320,000 with 2/3rds living in the capital city of Reykjavik.